COMMENT | A golden opportunity to amend the Constitution properly and fairly to stop party-hopping by elected representatives has been temporarily or even more permanently halted by a sneaky move by the backdoor BN government to insert a clause which will give it powers to change vital laws with a simple majority.

Whether a compromise solution can be found or not depends on how much PM Ismail Sabri Yaakob is prepared to concede given that the changes were suggested by the cabinet itself and were inserted at the very last minute.

The new, surprise proposal basically provided for the introduction of future legislation with a simple majority which the government of the day could use to control other political parties and personal freedoms. The Bar Council has explained this further, calling it “treacherous on many counts — because it does not stop at just anti-hopping but overreaches to possible abuse of the ruling government to control other political parties.”

It was good that the opposition would have none of it and forced Ismail Sabri to agree to a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to review the bill. But that will needlessly delay it which is perhaps what some parties want.

Some sections within Umno, notably the court cluster of Najib Razak and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and supporters, want early elections as soon as possible as they face serious criminal charges that threaten their political careers and may see them end up in jail.

But others such as Ismail Sabri and associated supporters may want to delay it to remain in power and alter the balance in their favour in the meantime. The longer they wait, the better.

The ill-prepared opposition will of course want the amendments, which seem to be a condition for elections to be delayed as well to improve their position and make badly needed readjustments to their strategies and actions.

The objective of both seems to be achieved given that it will inevitably take more time than necessary for the PSC to make its recommendations...